Purple squirrels are rare. They’re the dream hires—the unicorns who check every box. But even they need fuel.
Enter Purple Acorn—the food for purple squirrels.
Now, the HR and talent world has a media network built just for them with the launch of the Purple Acorn Podcast Network—a destination where talent meets storytelling, where hiring meets humanity, and where podcasts don’t sound like onboarding videos.
The network was born from the viral success of The HR Morning Show and now includes 17 podcasts—from weekly live broadcasts to binge-worthy series—all hosted by HR’s boldest personalities and sharpest minds. Four shows are produced in-house, while thirteen more join from across the industry, featuring founders, creators, analysts, and practitioners who aren’t afraid to speak freely.
“We created Purple Acorn because we saw a gap—where HR content was either too fluffy or too robotic,” said Evan White, Founder of Purple Acorn. “Our mission is to spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of work—through bold content, live experiences, and unapologetically original storytelling.”
The Lineup
Here’s what’s streaming now:
- CareerTALKS with Orlando Haynes – Real career advice from one of TA’s most trusted voices.
- From the Desk with Jada Montemarano – News-style interviews on the cutting edge of talent and tech.
- From X to Z with Danielle Farage & Mervyn Dinnen – Gen Z meets Gen X in this refreshingly honest HR trendcast.
- The HR Morning Show – Your weekly live jolt of people-first hot takes from Adam Posner, Joel Lalgee, and Jada Montemarano.
- My First Job with Mike Woods – Humble beginnings, inspiring journeys.
- RemotelyOne with Kaleem Clarkson & Rick Haney – Remote work, real talk, and ridiculous stories.
- Recruiting is No Joke with Joel Lalgee – The raw, hilarious truth about recruiting today.
- RecTech with Chris Russell – The tools, trends, and tech defining modern hiring.
- Return to People with Kaleem Clarkson – How leaders build culture beyond the office.
- The Alder Hour with Matt Alder, Jocelyn King & Rhona Pierce – Big ideas and braver conversations, live.
- The Human Capitalist with Trent Cotton – Putting people back at the center of the business model.
- The Jim Stroud Podcast with Jim Stroud – What’s now and what’s next in work and life.
- Transformation Realness with Kyle Lagunas – Fixing work, one real conversation at a time.
- Workfluencer with Rhona Pierce – Where work meets influence, creativity, and community.
- Coming Soon: All In with Enrique Ruiz + FinkedIn with Brian Fink
The Purple Acorn POV
Purple Acorn was built around a set of values that reflect its community:
- Curiosity Wins – We chase stories others miss.
- Create Loudly – No whispers. Just original, bold, unforgettable content.
- People Over Platforms – We love tech, but people come first.
- Community First – Our network is a movement.
- Make It Matter – If it doesn’t move the needle, we rethink it.
- Less Corporate, More Real – No jargon. No fluff. Just truth.
- Ship and Iterate – Start scrappy. Learn fast. Grow constantly.
Supported by the Best
Purple Acorn is proudly sponsored by top HR brands including Humareso, ERIN, VirgilHR, PeopleInsight by HireRoad, and SmartRecruiters—companies equally committed to bold innovation and community-first storytelling.
Subscribe, Submit, Swag Up
To explore the full network, submit a guest, or claim your free Purple Acorn swag, visit www.purpleacornnetwork.com. Follow the network on LinkedIn to catch live recordings, new drops, and where we’ll be popping up next.